Though you can find leeks cooked in dozens of different ways, leek and potato soup, maybe flavored with some pancetta, is the perfect dish to celebrate this spring onion. Italians use zucchini in a plethora of foods: on top of pizza, inside lasagna, baked into focaccia and as a regular side dish. l’ananas = pineapple. Some, like zucchini, are at their height in all three months of the summer, depending on where you are in Italy.
But two more stars arrive on the scene: beautiful bunches of broccoli and fennel, which grow in abundance this time of year.
You’ll find it flavoring bread or crackers, soups, and salads, or simply cooked in olive oil and served as a side. Grown predominately in, February continues the winter traditions of cabbage, lentils, spinach and oranges. But if you want to sample the heart and soul of what makes Italian food divine, you have to eat what’s in season.
| Photo by Gina Mussio. Delicate vegetables like asparagus, zucchini flowers, and spring peas are classic spring fare.
Finally, Italians begin to eat the summer’s more slow-growing fruits and vegetables. la banana = banana. To cool down in the long afternoons enjoy a lemon granita or lemon gelato – especially if you are around the Amalfi Coast.
If you see them, snatch ’em up – they will be plump and incredibly juicy. Spring marks the end of heavy root dishes and the start of lighter meals, prepared fresh and with care. Melons are the big draw this time of year. For Italians, eating seasonally is a way of life that borders on a sacred rite.
The harvest of summer crops marks the start of this season which spans from the still-hot days of September through to the first chill of winter. Grown predominately in Sicily’s cradle of citrus, the fabled Conca d’Oro, both blood oranges and, er, orange oranges add a sunny burst of citrus to the often-heavy foods of winter –not to mention vitamin C!
February continues the winter traditions of cabbage, lentils, spinach and oranges. December. You can try them in soups, savory pies or risottos, but perhaps the best way to celebrate the artichoke is with, Though they begin sprouting as early as March, we’d wait until May to dive into the asparagus dishes which are now guaranteed to be fresh and not frozen. Though not used as much abroad, fennel is a staple of Italian cooking and a flavor that you absolutely must try when you visit.
Here is our list of fruit in Italian with the English translation next to it. The fall harvest in Italy is similar to that of the United States – think grapes, apples, squash, mushrooms – but in Italy you also get exquisite truffles!
April is for artichokes – a beloved Italian vegetable that takes menus and markets by storm this month and is only around for the shortest of seasons. Continue to enjoy summer vegetables all through July – the fruits are what change this month. Chestnuts are the other most evocative symbol of autumn in Italy, Fish have their own seasons – check out this, Italian tradition has it that the best, most flavorful cabbage is harvested after a frost. Thank you and please write more of your wonderful articles .
Though they begin producing from May and go well into June, there’s nothing better than a delicious – and fresh – strawberry gelato on a hot June afternoon! Whether you are a lover of mushroom or not, this is one fungus that you have to try if you are eating in Italy in the late summer/autumn. | Photo by Marco Verch (flickr).
Generally considered (along with Sicilian lemons) to have the most vibrant and aromatic flavor in the world, these natural delicacies like lots of heat and tend to improve the later in the summer that they’re picked. Like all stone fruit, plums are related to peaches, nectarines and almonds. Many more fruits also start to come into season, most notably, strawberries, which flavor everything from tarts to, March is a transition month, when the snow begins to melt and the fields from, April is for artichokes – a beloved Italian vegetable that takes menus and markets by storm this month and is only around for the shortest of seasons. In the world of fruit, figs get their second harvest in the south of Italy, which specializes in the sweet, green varietals. I am trying to find the answer to the question of why orange and lemon in California and Florida are winter crops but in Italy and Greece they are summer crops? Fior di zucca is a perfect appetizer served fried, but you can also enjoy the vegetable baked or cooked into a risotto. il fico = fig. Interestingly, fish also should be caught and eaten depending on the season.
Pumpkins are at their height, and if you only ever eat them in pies you are in for a real treat.
Look out for the famous casseoula in Lombardia or gobble up some of the best sauerkraut you’ll ever have in cities and towns throughout the Dolomites. In supermarkets, they have plastic gloves available so you can choose what you want, and there will be a machine you use to print out a label so the sales clerk can easily scan your purchases. Though most of the vineyards are for wine, red, purple and green grapes for eating fill the markets. The harvest of summer crops marks the start of this season which spans from the still-hot days of September through to the first chill of winter. Our website uses cookies to improve your user experience. If you find watermelons on sale in February in Treviso they have probably been imported from Argentina! Is there any place you could recommend,where we would be sure to get the “real fresh” truffles ?
This means that the markets and restaurants fill up with the stuff after the first frost of the year. Download the seasonal fruits and vegetables calendar, Collaboration opportunities and storytelling projects. Required fields are marked *. l’albicocca = apricot. Strawberries are another June favorite. You can try them in soups, savory pies or risottos, but perhaps the best way to celebrate the artichoke is with carciofi alla guida, the Jewish-Roman way: tenderized then deep-fried. The summer is winding down into fall and the harvest often offers the best of both worlds. Summer is the best time for most, but not all, fruits. We are going to be in Florence for a week starting the 1rst of October, then in Siena and Venice until mid October. But two more stars arrive on the scene: beautiful bunches of broccoli and fennel, which grow in abundance this time of year.